A coaxial cable is a type of cable that is capable of transmitting an electrical signal. The coaxial cable may have an inner conducting wire that is separated from a tubular conductive shield by a tubular insulating layer. The core conducting wire may be a solid or braided wire formed from a metal such as copper. The conductive shield may be a foil layer or a braid of conducting metal, such as copper or aluminum. The conductive shield may be grounded to minimize interference. The insulating layer may be a dielectric that surrounds the core conducting wire and is surrounded by the conductive shield. The electromagnetic wave may exist within the insulating layer, and therefore the cable's characteristics, such as impedance, can be significantly affected by the characteristics of the insulator. The coaxial cable may have a protective sheath covering the conductive shield to further minimize interference and provide durability to the cable.
Coaxial cables are used extensively throughout modern communication networks. There are several coaxial cable connectors commonly used to facilitate connection of coaxial cables to each other and to various electronic equipment. Due to the wide variety of industrial and consumer applications for use of coaxial cables, it is important for a coaxial cable connector to maintain an accurate, durable, and reliable connection each and every time regardless of whether the coaxial cable connector is installed professionally or by a layperson.
As shown in FIG. 1-2, a coaxial cable connector 91 is typically adapted for connecting a coaxial cable 90 to a mating device 92. As shown in FIG. 2, the mating device 92 comprises an F-connector 95 having external thread 96, a contact face 903 and a conductive clamp 98 disposed on the inside. As shown in FIG. 1-2, typically the coaxial cable connector 91 creates a grounding path by tightly fastening the internal thread 94 of the coupling member 93 with the external thread 96 of the F-connector 95 of the mating device 92, such that the contact face 903 of the F-connector 95 applies pressure on a forward end face 902 of the post 99 to keep positive contact between post 99, coupling member 93, and F-connector 95. Typically this configuration creates a grounding path between the mating device 92 (as shown in FIG. 2) and a conductive shield 901 of the coaxial cable 90 (as shown in FIG. 1) thereby providing improved signal performance of a core conducting wire 97.
For various reasons, such as movement of the equipment, vibrations, or improper installation of the connector, when operationally installed, the connection between the coaxial cable connector 91 (as shown in FIG. 1) and the mating device 92 (as shown in FIG. 2) may become loose. This may result in a poor signal quality and RFI leakage due to the weak connection between the conductors of the mating device 92 and the coaxial cable 90. Therefore, a need exists for a coaxial cable connector that is configured to maintain proper connection performance between those conductors even in the event that the coaxial cable connector becomes loose or is improperly installed.
Typically, coaxial cable connectors have a connector body 10 comprising a conductive material such as steel or copper to create part of the grounding pathway as shown in FIG. 3. The use of only conductive materials in the connector body limits possible useful designs, limits use of new materials, limits applications in which the coaxial cable connector can be used, increases manufacturing costs, and increases the weight of the coaxial cable connector. Therefore, a need exists for a coaxial cable connector that is configured to provide at least one grounding pathway while allowing for the use of a connector body that comprises conductive and/or non-conductive materials or a combination of conductive and non-conductive materials.
Typically, coaxial cable connectors have a grounding member that is disposed on the outside of the connector such that the grounding member is exposed to the elements or contaminants such as moisture, corrosive agents, and/or dust, thereby effecting both the performance and longevity of the cable connector. Other variations of coaxial cable connectors dispose the grounding member between an O-ring and a coupling member to protect the grounding member from contamination. Therefore, a need exists for a coaxial cable connector that is configured to protect the grounding member from contamination or exposure to the elements or corrosion, or the failure or improper installation of a protective element such as an O-ring.
The instant invention addresses above-mentioned deficiencies and provides numerous other advantages.